KAT LAB

Assistant Professor | Director of Research

Michael Kranak, Ph.D., BCBA-D is an Assistant Professor and the Director of Research for the Center for Autism at Oakland University. Prior to joining Oakland University, he was a researcher and clinician at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He earned his Ph.D. in Psychology and Behavior Analysis from Western Michigan University, M.A. in Special Education and Applied Behavior Analysis from The Ohio State University, and B.A. in Psychology from West Virginia University.

His research interests include applied and translational investigations of relapse, the assessment and treatment of severe problem behavior, and behavioral technology in supervision and higher education. Dr. Kranak has accrued and serves as Principal Investigator (PI) or Consortium PI on nearly $2 million in funding for his research and clinical endeavors. He has also served as an NIH review panel member for the Child Psychopathology and Developmental Disabilities study section. Additionally, Dr. Kranak is an Associate Editor for Behavior Analysis in Practice, Guest Editor for a special issue in Behavioral Sciences, Guest Associate Editor for Education and Treatment of Children; and currently serves on the Board of Editors for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Single-Case in the Social Sciences, and as an ad hoc reviewer for several other journals. In his spare time, he enjoys working out, cooking, golfing; and is an avid Pittsburgh sports fan.

Graduate Research Assistant

Harper is a first year Master’s student in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Oakland University. She earned her BS in Psychology from Western Michigan University in 2024. She has worked with children with intellectual and developmental disabilities in a variety of settings such as ABA clinics and elementary schools.

Graduate Research Associate

Kayla Knoche is a first-year graduate student in Oakland’s MEd ABA program. She earned her B.S. in neuroscience at Michigan State University, graduating in 2022. She has worked in ABA centers for the past couple of years and loves it! Her research interests include behavioral intervention techniques and technological advances in the field of ABA to better treat and understand individuals with disabilities.

KAT Lab Cats

Kolbe and Pio are 1-year-old Domestic Short Hairs and the mascots of the KAT Lab. They enjoy playing, attending Zoom meetings, walking on keyboards, napping, and listening to the human members of the KAT Lab discuss behavior-analytic research and clinical cases.

Graduate Clinical Associate

Lauren is a second-year Master’s student in the Special Education and Applied Behavior Analysis program at Oakland University. She earned her B.A. in Human Development and Family Studies from Michigan State University in 2021. She’s worked with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across a variety of settings including outpatient clinics and schools.

Graduate Research Associate

Megan is a second-year graduate student in Oakland University’s ABA program. She earned her B.A. in Psychology at the University of Windsor in 2023. She has known this is her calling since she volunteered in the field of special education when she was 7 years old. She has worked as a behavior technician and trainer in home-based settings since she was 17 years old. She has worked with individuals aged 2 to 46 with developmental disabilities and is looking forward to meeting many more in the future.

Graduate Research Associate

Meredith is a first-year graduate student in the Applied Behavioral Analysis program at Oakland University. She has earned her B.S. in Health and Exercise Science from Oakland University in 2020. Her behavioral experience began in school settings and she now works in ABA as a Registered Behavior Technician. She is excited to continue learning more about problem behaviors and functional communication.

Graduate Clinical Associate

Morgan is a first-year Master’s student in the Special Education and Applied Behavior Analysis program at Oakland University. She earned her B.S. in Education from Bowling Green State University in 2022. She’s worked primarily in classroom settings, including both special and general education settings, as both an instructor and as a behavioral consultant.

KAT Lab Cat Emeritus (2018-23)

Murray was a four-year-old Tabby and the inaugural mascot of the KAT Lab. He en-joyed sleeping, watching birdies out the window, and listening to the human members of the KAT Lab discuss research.